Graves' disease

Graves' disease

(grāvz)

n.

A condition usually caused by excessive thyroid hormone and characterized by an enlarged thyroid gland, protrusion of eyeballs, a rapid heartbeat, and nervous excitability.Basedow's diseaseParry's disease

Graves' disease

[grāvz]

An autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland characterized by excessive production of thyroid hormone, goiter, protrusion of the eyeballs (exophthalmos), and symptoms of hyperthyroidism, such as rapid heartbeat and weight loss. The disease is named after its discoverer, Irish physician Robert James Graves (1796-1853).